Where it all began!

Intersting tid-bit that began it all ... on Jun 16, 1884 - thrill seekers climb aboard "The Gravity Pleasure Ride" and rolled a 6 mph for 600 feet at Coney Island!!

I thought roller coasters originated from the Russian Icechutes?

The first coaster was "The Gravity Pleasure Ride", period. No ice involved, but actual coaster technology that we today have come to base our rides on.

[jayman]

yay!

Is that the ride where people basically sit sidways on a bench with no seatbelts? I remember seeing an illustration of such a ride.

[jayman]

that was a year or so later, the picture you are refering to was the first closed circuit rollercoaster.

Very neat!